Are you confused about what diet to go on? Keto, Paleo, intermittent fasting, etc.? A lot of people are. There’s so many that are suggested by health care professionals that it can be overwhelming. Before makng the choice to follow any diets such as the ones listed above, there are four core things to look at and prioritize in order to create a a long-lasting, healthy nutritional plan for you and your family. They are starting points that you can build off of once you create healthy habits in these areas. If you are someone that needs healing from psoriasis, eczema, IBS, fatigue, or arthritis, this is something you will want to pay close attention to! These things can be eradicated from your body by following these important tips.
The Core Four
1. Carbohydrates and Sugar: It’s important to look at the amount of carbohydrates and sugar you are putting into your body. Refined sugar is extremely toxic to our bodies and it’s very hard to digest. It increases insulin and cortisol levels and can which can lead to a lot of long-term health issues. The first practical way to reduce sugar is to learn how to read ingredients and find hidden sugars. You can look at the grams of sugar per serving but also read through all of the ingredients listed. Look for things that end in “ose”. For example, dextrose, glucose or sucrose. These are hidden sugars! Do your best to choose foods that have natural sugars instead such as apples, berries, carrots etc. These are God foods! Stick to things man did not alter. When you do use sweeteners use things such as monk fruit, birch xylitol, stevia, honey, maple syrup, or dates. When looking at carbohydrates, start to look at and avoid things that turn into sugar once digested in your body. Carbs that are high in sugar are foods such as breads, pasta and grains. Even though it doesn’t say sugar, it turns into sugar when broken down in your body. Minimize grains that turn into sugar quickly such as pasta, wheat, oats, rice and potatoes. Choose cruciferous vegetables for your carbs. Broccoli, kale, and spinach are great choices. Stick with meat and vegetables that are filled with nutritional value.
2. Fats: Fats are an essential part of almost every function in our body. The fats we choose to eat will greatly affect the state of health our body will be in. Things like vegetable oil, canola oil and peanut oil are examples of bad fats. Instead, switch to coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, and fish oil. Ask someone in our office for a full list of good fats vs. bad fats!
3. Protein: Types of protein you want to avoid are those of animals who were not raised as they were meant to be raised. For example, animals that have been raised disrespectfully, kept in a cage, fed foods that it wasn’t meant to eat, giving it antibiotics, hormones and vaccines. These things have an affect on our bodies when we eat animals that have been raised this way. Two key terms to look for when buying protein are grass fed beef and pasture raised. Organ meats such as liver is something that is very important for our bodies but is not extremely popular in todays culture. They have a high amount of nutrients and vitamins and help the body detox. When looking for fish, don’t buy farm raised. Fish aren’t raised in a farm! Choose wild caught fish. Some people do better with more meat and some do better with less, so always do what is best for your body. If you aren’t a fan of meat, pea protein, hemp, chia seeds, and flax seeds are great protein options.
4. Chemicals: Make sure to avoid as many chemicals as possible by buying organic. Stick to local foods as well. If strawberries are raised in Mexico organically, a lot of the time they are sprayed with chemicals on the way over to your grocery store so they will last longer. When reading through ingredients, if you can’t read it don’t eat it. That’s a great rule of thumb. Other things to avoid are gluten, dairy, corn and soy! These wreak havoc on our digestive systems and most bring little to no nutritional value.
If you would like more information on how to receive these tests and plans, please contact our office via email, phone, or in person.